The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-05-14

on earth, but they are essentially the
same. It has local habitation and
name, aud SO all it's joys must partake Of
time and place, and outward condition.
He'll, toe, is over there. We must
die to go to hell. 1t is locality some
where III the other world. It is veri-
table prison of woe. Formerly it was
literal fire and external torture. Now
its pains are somewhat more spiritual
lied, but they are localized and inflicted
from without. There is beyond death
great world, into which sinners are
sent, and where God, by some kind of
machinery, however refined, Furnishes
them for their sins. These are COM
mon ideas Of heaven and hell.
See how unspiritual they arel See
how essentially materialistic in concep-
ton Whatever of spirituality the
thought may have, it is obscured and
rendered nugatory by it's material set
tings. The thought is of time, place
and external circumstance. The eye is
turned without. 1t is looking for a
kingdom that cometh with observation.
1t is saying, Lo here, Lo there.
Now, see how the truth of our text
sweeps all this mist away, and makes
everything clear and certain. See how
it shows us just where, what and when
are both heaven and hell" "The king
dom of God is within you;" Gods reign
is in your own soul. Right in there is
his throne Of judgment, and right in
there are bis rewards and punishments.
Heaven and hell are both in your own
soul. In the heather hades were both
Elysium and Tartarus; and SO in the
kingdom of the soul is the saints Ely
SUM and sinners Tartarus. When we
obey God, when we are living the best
we know,-when especially we know
and obey the truth Of Christ, and par
take of his spirit, have heaven.
We have it now. We enjoy the very
bliss Of God. 1t is within us The very
kingdom of peace. 1t is 8 constant
benediction. 1t is ours for time and
eternity. Solong as we do this, SO long
as we live thus, heaven will be ours, no
matter where we are. Loving and liv-
ing the truth of God renders the king
dom within, always and everywhere,
the veritable kingdom of God.
On the other hand, if we do not obey
God, if we live for low aims and from
selfish motives, especially if we refuse
to obey the truth of Christ and will
none of his love and grace, we have hell.
We violate the laws of this worldwithin,
! and the penalties Of those laws are in
ficted upon us; rather within us. The
tribunal OF justice is set up in our own
souls, and before it we are dragged by
a hand as memorable as fate. The fires
of retribution are kindled within us
with the certainty of death. Right in
our own hearts is 1.-THE worn that di-
eth not, and the fire that is not quench-
ed" The reign of God within us then
becomes the reign Of judgment. The
energy of his will becomes the energy
of retribution. His spirit within us
burns us with an everlasting fire. 1t
gives us no peace day nor night. The
same spirit that blesses us when we
obey, Furnishes US when we disobey.
So it is that hell is made in our own
soul. Sin makes our hell as righteous
ness makes our heaven, and between
these two conditions, there verify is a
great gulf. There is no passing from
one to the other, SO long as the condi-
tons remain unchanged. The right
eous cannot be turned into hell, and
the wicked cannot be put into heaven.
The sinful cannot bridge the great gulf
save through repentance. The only
way out of hell is to repent of our sins
and turn to God with full purpose of
heart, and walk in his ways. In all the
worlds this is true. It is true in the
very nature of the spiritual kingdom.
Thus we see how clearly and nationally
this truth of the absolute spirituality of
the kingdom of God answers all these
questions about heaven and hell.
Heaven is the joy of obedience, hell
is the woe of disobedience. Heaven is
where we obey, hell is where we dis
obey. Heaven is in that spiritual world
where we obey, hell is in that spiritual
world where we disobey, and neither of
them is or can be anywhere else.
2. But again, take this great ques-
tion, which is now the cause of so great
controversy in the religious world, and
which is so widely known as the An
dover question. We all know what
this question is. To use the popular
phraseology, it is whether or not proba-
ton extends beyond death. In other
words it is whether or not the gospel
can be preached and received, and re-
pentance exercised beyond that point
which is marked by the dissolution of
the physical form.
The old school, those who claim to be
orthodox, par excellence, hold that there
is no probation after death; that this
life is decisive of the next; what we are
/ bara 10 puhaf xva Cha1i ha hara